Innocent Days
by Shiro3Mochi
Summary: On his way back home, Seishirou discovered an unconscious boy buried under snow. Still in the middle of winter, Seishirou carried the boy home and nursed him back to health only to discover the boy had amnesia. With no knowledge of the world they lived in, Seishirou let the boy stay with him until he regains his memories.
1. Boy and amnesia

Summary: On his way back home, Seishirou discovered an unconscious boy buried under snow. Still in the middle of winter, Seishirou carried the boy home and nursed him back to health only to discover the boy had amnesia. With no knowledge of the world they lived in, Seishirou let the boy stay with him until he regains his memories.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Tsubasa is the property of CLAMP and this is a story that has been stuck in my head for a very long time.

* * *

February 25, 11:13 AM

When the boy opened his eyes, he was greeted by a foreign ceiling. Hazy emerald eyes flickered repeatedly adjusting to the light in the room. It was bright, too bright for his liking. It was close to noon with endless amount of sunlight beaming through the window directly at his face.

Registering the ceiling above him, he slowly got up on his back. A honey yellow towel with floral patterns fell from his forehead down to the blankets, the towel was lukewarm. Turning his head, he noticed there was a bowl of water on the bedside table.

Lowering his gaze down at himself, the boy wore an oversized navy blue pajama with white strips near the end of the collar and selves. There were three golden bottoms on his pajama and each one had a cherry blossom crest on it. The boy looked around the room slowly observing his surroundings. He didn't know where he was.

Snow were pilling outside the window but that didn't seem to grab his attention. The window was open with a small creak and he felt a gentle winter breeze flowing by. Light lavender curtains swayed with the wind.

The room was small with cemented walls and wooden floors. He was on a single-sized bed near one of the corners in the squared room. Several layers of blankets covered his body keeping him warm from the cold. Bedsides the bed was a small bedside table with a lamp and a bowl of water on top. Across from the bed was a wooden closet around his height. Two chairs were place on the left side of the closet, one with a set of clothes folded neatly on top and the other with nothing.

The door was located on the opposite end of the windows. It was an old wooden door with a bronze handle the shape of a maple leaf. The room was clean and kept in the best condition possible. There wasn't much furniture in the room but they were organized to not take up much space.

"…Where… am I?" he whispered to himself. He had no recollection of how he ended up in an unfamiliar room. His mind was filled with blanks. It was the same as taking a vacuum cleaner and sucking out every thoughts and memories inside his head. Every corner of his mind was empty. Just like a white canvas before an artist leaves a single mark. His mind was empty, he was empty.

The bronze handle turn and the door slowly opened reveal a person behind it. The person was surprised at first to see him awake but his expression was soon replaced with a soft smile. He was a tall handsome man with jet black hair and golden amber eyes. He wore black cassocks that reached down to his knee and black pants. A small silver cross hanged around his chest and he wore a pair of black spectacles over his eye. He was a priest.

"Ah, I see you're awake," the priest said in a deep gentle voice. He was a man in his mid-twenties but his appearance made him look younger than expected. Emerald eyes couldn't help but stare at the stranger before him. The priest wore a smile that was warm and welcoming to everyone. The priest took the empty chair by the closet and placed it besides the bed before taking a seat.

"How are you feeling?" he asked in a soothing tone.

"…" He tilted his head staring at the priest in confusion. "…Who are you?" he asked with cloudy emerald eyes.

"Oh, where are my manners, I should introduce myself first. My name is Seishirou, I am the priest of this village," the priest in black introduced himself and placed a hand over his silver cross. "What is your name?"

"My name…" he mumbled staring blankly at the taller man. Searching his mind for an answer his thoughts remained hollow. "What is…my name?" the boy asked, answering Seishirou's question with another question. His voice was toneless and lacked any signs of emotion. His expression too was empty and vacant.

"You don't remember your name?" Seishirou's brows frowned as his smile slowly faded away and was replaced with a concern look. "Do you remember anything?"

"…" The boy shook his head. When he closed his eyes, all he saw was hollow white space. There was nothing for him to remember, nothing to look back on. A blank slate? No. He was the same as a discarded shell. Curling his fingers into a tiny fist, he tried his hardest to recall his memories but everything was empty.

"Amnesia perhaps," Seishirou suggested to himself, he was just as puzzled as the boy.

"Amnesia?" the boy questioned slowly widening his innocent eyes. He didn't understand what the priest was saying but the word itself gave him an unpleasant feeling inside.

"Amnesia, losing part of if not all of your memories." That uneasy sensation continues to grow inside him. Spreading like pathogen it was eating him from the inside out. The boy unconsciously frowned at the revelation of his memory loss. Lowering his head again, he stared at the blankets with sorrow.

Noticing his words causing the boy sadness, Seishirou quickly thought of something to reassure him. "But in most cases that I seen, amnesia is only a temporary thing. So don't worry, your memories will return when the time is right, I'm certain of it," Seishirou said with a smile. His words reached the boy's ears and it gave him a fragment of hope.

"Thank you, um…ah S-Seishirou…san," the boy replied looking back at the priest. Releasing his fingers, he nervously gave Seishirou a small smile. His worries and confusions did not subside but a part of him felt he could trust the priest's words.

Although it may be temporary, no one really knows when a person's memories will completely return. It could be months. It could be years. It could also never return. Certain "triggers" are required when it came to regaining memories after all.

"Where am I?" he asked looking around the room.

"You are at my church. I found you a week ago in the Sakura forest. You were unconscious with a high fever, I couldn't just leave you along so I took you in and nursed you back to health." Seishirou explained slowly and carefully. "I'm glad you're awake now, I was really worried since you were asleep for seven days." Seishirou's hand slowly reached to touch the soft cheeks of the pale boy. Pushing aside few strand of jet black hair, Seishirou's thumb gently caressed the boy's cheek in a circular motion.

Looking into the emerald Jewels, his smile soften even more. Pale cheeks but at a feverish temperature, perhaps from sleeping under all those layers of blanket. Seishirou had place four layers of blanket over the boy while he was asleep, he wanted to keep him warm.  
The boy didn't show any signs of emotion or reaction. He observed him with wide emerald eyes. He was simply confused, he simply didn't understand the meaning behind Seishirou's action. He remained silent and continued his blank look waiting for Seishirou's next action.  
Seishirou lowered his hand down to the boy's pale white neck. The boy was skinny as a twig and fragile like a glass cup. If he was not careful, Seishirou could easily snapped the boy's neck in half. His touch lingered against the smooth skin, tracing the structure of the younger one's collar bone. _'So very delicate indeed.'_ Seishirou chuckled to himself. The priest eventually retrieved his arm away and he leaned back against the chair. The man continued to smile, the boy didn't understand what he was doing, Seishirou's action left many questions in his head.

"Since you don't remember anything, should I give you a name for the time being?" Seishirou offered. The boy need a name to be refer to.

"Give…me a name?" he mumbled slowly giving Seishirou a confused look.

"Yes, a temporary one for the time being, think of it as a placement until you regain your memories. It would be inconvenient if I don't have anything to call you." Listening to the priest's explanation, the boy nodded at his suggestion. He too wanted a name to refer to as himself.

Names are important, it is a crucial aspect to a person. Names are bestowed upon a person by birth and is the key to their souls. A person's name holds a part of their identity and should remain with them until death. It should be kept safe and never forgotten.

Seishirou narrowed his brows and began brainstorming for a name, he need to think of a perfect name for the boy. Placing his index under his chin, he thought long and hard before reaching a name he believed would suit the boy best.

"Hmm, how about Pochi?" Seishirou suggested proudly clapping his hands together.

"P-Pochi?"

"Yes, don't you think it's an adorable name," he gave the boy a bright smile, he was really proud of himself. "Or do you want to be called by something else?" he asked wondering if he was forcing the boy into accepting a name he did not want.

"No…Pochi is fine."

"I'm glad you like it." Seeing how happy it made the priest, it was difficult for him to decline the name. The boy didn't dislike the name but did thought it was a strange name.

Seishirou reached forward again and took a hold of the wet towel on the blanket. Dropping it into the bowl of water he realized how cold the water had become. The water was boiling hot three hours ago when he brought it up to the room. Winter was near the end yet it was still cold as the beginning of the season. The winter in their world is short but harsh, everyone was trying their best to keep themselves warm.

His body felt heavy being buried under layers and layers of blanket. A small growl escaped the boy's stomach and reach the priest's ears. The boy didn't realize it but his stomach had been rumbling for some time now. It was only natural since he was asleep for a week after all.

"Oh, my apologies, your body must be famished. Wait here, I'll go get something for you to eat." Seishirou got up from his chair and began to walk towards the door. Along the way he took the bowl of water with him as he took his leave. Seishirou's footsteps echoed outside the hallway as it grew fainter and fainter until it could no longer be heard.

With the priest gone, anxiety began to spread again. His slender fingers traced over the area Seishirou had light glazed earlier. Lowering his head his expression was still emotionless and unresponsive. Placing his palm over his chest, he felt vacant as if there was a giant hole in his heart and all his identity was seeping out.

Pochi held up his right hand and curled his fingers slowly again. Mustering all his strength he tried to hold a fist. But all he could do was curl his fingers. His body felt foreign and weak. He shifted his legs under the blanket, his body felt crushed being buried under those layers of heavy blanket.

The door let out a tiny creak, with a jolt of anticipation Pochi quickly lifted his head towards the door, a small spark exploded within him when he thought the priest had returned. However, what he saw was not the person he was hoping for. A small flash of yellow and white passed by the door. Pochi blinked, for a second there he thought someone was staring at him through the half open door. There was no one now.

He heard another tiny creak outside the hallway but this time, the noise was faint, almost nonexistent. Whoever was outside his door was walking away from his room. Pochi continued to stare at the door waiting for Seishirou's return. He wondered if he should push aside the blanket and stretched his legs. His legs was asleep and they felt numb. Both his mind and body haven't fully awakened from his slumber.

The boy was tempted at the idea of exploring the church, curiosity was getting to him. However, before he even lifted a single finger, Pochi recalled Seishirou's words informing him to wait for his return. Lowering his hand he reframed himself of leaving the bed. Will Seishirou be angry at him if he left the room? Will Seishirou be angry at him for walking around the church? Will Seishirou ask him to leave? Fear struck his heart immediately, he grew afraid of his own thoughts.

Few minutes passed by before the priest returned with a tray in his hands. On top of the tray was a plate with chicken curry over rice and a glass cup of water.

"Sorry for the wait," he said offering Pochi the same warm smile from earlier. Seishirou placed the tray where the bowl of water was and took a seat next to the bed.

"…" Pochi remained frozen silent.

"Is something the matter?" Seishirou asked with concern on his face. He gave the boy a worried look, "Perhaps you are still feeling unwell. Would you like to rest a bit longer?"

Pochi shook his head, "No… I'm fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he replied with a small smile.

"Alright," Seishirou said softly, "but please inform me if you are not feeling well." Pochi nodded at his request. "It's not much but I hope you like curry." Seishirou said as he carefully balanced the plate on his lap. A wooden spoon was placed besides the plate. Picking up the spoon, Seishirou scooped a small portion of the curry.

"Here say 'ah'." Leaning closer to the boy, he said holding up the wooden utensil with one hand and another under to prevent any spills.

"…" Pochi tilted his head in question.

"Say 'ah~'." Seishirou repeated emphasizing on the last part.

"Ah?...Nn!" Pochi said mimicking Seishirou's lips movement, he wasn't expecting food to enter his mouth, nonetheless he chewed and swallowed the curry in his mouth.

"Do you like it?"

"…" the boy didn't know what taste good or what taste bad but he nodded in response.

"I'm glad," Seishirou said with a soft smile. Seishirou made the curry with fresh ingredients he got from the market the day before. He was lucky to receive certain vegetables that were out of season.

To a human, the curry might have tasted above average but for Pochi it was odd. The curry tasted like nothing. Pochi felt he was swallowing air instead. Was it supposed to taste dull? Was it difficult to swallow? Was it supposed to give him a craving for something else?

His throat felt dry, his hunger was not being satisfied. He wanted something else but what was that 'something' that he yearned for? The boy did not know. He lost his memories and his knowledge was limited. The boy accepted the taste as how it was. Seishirou held up another spoonful of curry to his lips. Pochi ate it hoping it would fill his hunger.

It didn't.

Pochi ate slowly and quietly. He finished eating after a quarter of an hour had passed by. The glass cup of water was the only thing that filled his hunger. His stomach may be full but he was not.

"Thank you…," he thanked the priest.

"No, the pleasure is all mine." Seishirou picked up the empty cup and plate and placed it on the tray. "I'll be back right away," he took the tray downstairs with him to the kitchen. The church was empty, it was the weekend after all. Seishirou dropped the dish into the sink letting it soak in room temperature water. He will take care of that later.

Instead of returning to the guest room right away, Seishirou took a detour and made a stop at the attic, it was where he stored all the books in the church. The room was narrow with five bookshelves and a rectangular table in the center. Looking through the shelfs, Seishirou picked out a thin dictionary along with a handful of colorful picture books.

Seishirou want to help the boy recover. Since the boy lost his memories, his knowledge must be limited. He thought he will start off with educating the boy on the world they live in and their language. Seishirou returned to the guest room and the boy was how he left him, sitting on the bed waiting for his return. Just like the name given to him, he was adorable.

* * *

Apologie:

There is something I want to apologize for. Ten months ago, I created a story. It was a giant mess in my eyes. I was not proud of that story and I hated how I portrayed the characters. Eight months later, I deleted that story. I did not feel comfortable continuing the story since I was going through a long case of depression. So, I scraped the story and began everything again from square one.

Once again, I apologize for suddenly deleting a story and not saying anything for four months.

Ritsu: You're starting the story over again?

ShiroM: Yeah.

Ritsu: Okay…

* * *

This is the end, thank you for reading and have a good day or night where ever you are.


	2. Subaru

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Tsubasa is the property of CLAMP and this is a story that has been stuck in my head for a very long time.

* * *

ShiroM: Yay, finally a new chapter.

Ritsu: Last chapter came out 3 months ago…

ShiroM: Ahaha, now let's not mind the small details.

Ritsu: But there are a lot of questions unanswered.

ShiroM: Umm…

Ritsu: You were procrastinating weren't you.

ShiroM: Stab*

Ritsu: Collapse*

ShiroM: Onward to the chapter! \\(^_^)/

* * *

February 28, 7:21 PM

"This may be sudden but would you like to practice walking?" Seishirou said placing a notebook on top of the bedside table.

"Is it really alright?" Pochi asked with wide innocent emerald eyes.

A day earlier, the priest discovered the boy did not know how to walk. Seishirou drew a layout of the church and gave Pochi the direction to the restroom on the second floor however the second the boy stepped foot of the bed, he collapsed immediately. Luckily Seishirou heard the noise and rushed to the room to assist the boy but Seishirou did wonder what the boy would of done if he was not there.

"Of course, what happened yesterday was partially my fault I should have been by your side to help you. Besides I think a little exercise could just be what your body needs." Seishirou smiled when he saw how bright the boy's eyes were glittering, they were beautiful, emerald could be put to shame by comparison. The concept of memory lost have always been a peculiar subject discussed among doctors and magicians alike. How much memory did the person loss? How much memory did the person maintain? Can they read? Can they write? Can they understand the human language? Can they perform basic task? These were some of the questions being asked around. Some stated memory loss are only temporary while others claimed it could be permanent. Some said memories are connected to their body and others said it is linked to their soul. Humans argue and they debate and none of them came to a conclusion.

Three days have passed since the boy discovered he had amnesia and during those three days, he never left his bed. Pochi spent his time reading books that Seishirou had brought him. If there were any words he did not understand he would he look through the dictionary for assistance. Pochi did not have any struggles or difficultly learning when it came to reading. Certain words and phrases are felt familiar to him and they just came to him naturally.

Seishirou would come to his room every few hours and give him a meal to eat. Pochi would often hear tiny laugher and voices downstairs when Seishirou opened and closes the door. He wondered who's voices they belonged to, Seishirou mentioned that he's the village priest, perhaps it had something to do with that. When Seishirou asked if the food taste good, Pochi just simply nodded. He ate omelet yesterday and spaghetti the day before. The foods were different everyday but they all taste the same. They are bland and unfulfilling. Pochi began to eat less day by day, the only thing that filled his hunger even by little was water.

From time to time he would take a break from reading and dazed outside the window. Watching snowflakes pile upon the tree branches before falling onto the ground passes time in its own way. Pochi learned that the world they live in experience a short but harsh winter every year. He also learned the name of the village, Sakura village, a small but peaceful village located near a cherry blossom forest. Sakura forest, the forest where Seishirou found him, Pochi hoped to visit the forest when he fully recovered.

The priest sat on the wooden chair next to the bed with a golden apple in one hand and a small paring knife in the other. He was peeling the apple and let the skin fall onto a plate on his lap. Fruits are rare to come by and difficult to obtain when winter dropped by. Seishirou received fresh fruits from an kind acquaintance and decided to share some with the boy hoping his health would improve.

Pochi sat up on his bed with his back leaning against the cold concrete wall. He finished the plate of food Seishirou gave him after half of an hour. Seishirou made ravioli with fresh vegetables as the filling and heavy cream as the sauce.

Pochi placed the books on the bedside table before he ate, he didn't want to stained the pages or create a mess. The boy made a mental note on what page he was on before he closed the book, he was reading a folk tale. The boy enjoyed looking at picture books on animals, he thought they were fascinating creatures.

"Do you want to start now?" Seishirou asked as he placed the apple aside and proceed to remove the empty plate from the boy's lap.

"Y-yes, please," Pochi replied with anticipation, his eyes were almost sparkling.

Seishirou smiled as he got up from his seat. He placed the plate on the table before facing back at the boy. Folding and tugging at the blankets to a corner of the bed, Seishirou removed them one at a time. Pochi's body felt lighter with each layer removed. The warmth he was so used to were slipping away but he did not mind. With the final layer gone, Seishirou reached out a hand for the boy.

"Here take my hand, I'll support you," Seishirou said softly reaching out his left hand to the boy. Pochi thanked the priest before taking his hand. Slowly he pulled himself towards the edge of the bed. Pochi was in control of his body yet half of his body felt similar to dead weight. After waking with amnesia, Pochi had limited knowledge about himself and the world he around him, he had no knowledge of basic task. All his memories vanished, he was a blanket slate.

Pochi shivered when his left foot made contact with the frozen wooden floor, it sent chills up his spine. His foot dropped in temperature and his toes felt numb. Pochi tried his best to adjust when his right foot touched the ground. Seishirou closed the window the day before, there was a snowstorm passing by. He forgot how cold his room was when he was buried under layers of layers of blanket.

"Take your time, don't rush yourself. Focus on standing for now." The boy replied with a worried nod. Listening to Seishirou's advice, Pochi took a deep breath before slowly exhaling. His heart began to race, he was getting nervous. Mustering all his strength and concentrating them on his legs, Pochi tried to stand. As he stood, the boy staggered and wobble like a newly born baby deer. Seishirou was by Pochi's side, he warped his free hand around the younger one's waist, supporting him. His legs were trembling, nearly all of his muscles were still asleep. Pochi was shaking, he could fall over at any second. Tightening his grip on Seishirou, Pochi unconsciously leaned onto him for support.

Few minutes passed by before he stopped quivering. During that time the room was filled with silence. Only the sound of tick tocks from the old grandfather clock outside the hallway could be heard.

"I-I think I'm ready for the next step, Seishirou-san"

"Alright, try bending you knees when you move forward. Like this," the priest lifted his foot back and forth showing the boy a few examples. Mimicking his movement Pochi did the same. Nervously he took a tiny step forward.

"Great just like that." Hearing the priest praising him, a small smile appeared on Pochi's lips. "Now try moving your left leg forward. Processing Seishiou's words Pochi nodded and moved his left foot forward.

"Right." Pochi took a step following Seishirou's words. His legs was still stiff but with each step he took, he became more used to what he was doing.

"Left."

"Right."

"Left"

"Yes, just like that. You're doing a wonderful job." Pochi blushed lightly at the compliment. Seishirou smiled when he saw the boy's cheek changing to a faint cherry pink. It was a healthy color, a great sign of recovery. They continued practicing for another ten minutes before Pochi's legs gave in.

* * *

March 4, 6:24 PM

"I'm going to let go now," Seishirou said while slowly releasing his hands. Another four days have passed since Pochi began to learn to walk. With Seishirou's help they practice every day before Pochi's legs collapse from exhaustion. His legs eventually got used to standing and would no longer tremble. Pochi decided it was time to remove the train wheels, Seishirou will not always be there by his side to support him forever.

"O-okay." Pochi said nervously. Pochi gave him a worry look, he wasn't sure how he'll do without the priest's guidance. seishirou's hands were large and warm, Pochi felt safe holding them.

"Don't worry, you will do just fine." Butterflies were rumbling in his stomach. Pochi suddenly felt colder when Seishirou let go.

Finally, able to support himself, the boy stopped leaning on the priest but Seishirou was still there by Pochi's side reassuring him of any doubts. Facing away from the bed, Pochi took a mini step towards the door. Once he felt comfortable he took another. Through trial and error, Pochi made great progress. Walking from one side of the room to another before repeating the process over again.

Pochi circled around the room on his own, Seishirou stood beside the bed. There were a few moments when Pochi was close to falling but he quickly regained his balance. He gained more confidence as he got closer to Seishirou, the priest was the starting point but also the ending goal.

With only a few steps away, Pochi fastened his pace. Wanting to reach the priest, Pochi was unaware of stepping on his navy blue pants and fell forwards. The pajama he wore actually belonged to the priest, Seishirou folded up the selves so it would be more convenient for the boy when he eats but he never folded up the pants.

Shutting his emerald eyes, Pochi accepted the fall. He expected to crash onto the icy cold floor. He thought he would roll to his side and groan in pain. He thought he would struggle to get back on his feet…but he didn't.

A second passed by, nothing happened. Another second pass by, nothing happened again.

"Huh?" Slowly opening his eyes, Pochi realized his face was inches above the wooden floor. He felt an arm warped around his waist preventing him from falling any further. Seishirou rushed to his side before he could fall onto the floor. Lifting up his head, emerald eyes were greeted with golden amber.

"Are you unharmed?" Seishirou asked with a kind smile. Seishirou gave of a pleasant aroma, a mix of cherry blossom and something else.

"I'm fine…oh I'm sorry!" Pochi flailed as he pulled himself away from Seishirou, he didn't realize he was leaning on Seishirou's chest. Pochi took a huge step backwards, he stammered but he quickly regained his balance.

"No as long as you are not hurt." Seishirou reassured, he didn't want the boy to push himself too much. Seishirou chuckled seeing how cute the boy was acting around him. "I believe this is enough for today, we can continue the practice tomorrow."

The boy nodded in response, lowering his head, the boy stared at the cold wooden floor. It was strange, Pochi could feel his cheeks heating up even though the rest of his body had adapted to the room. The bed let out a low creak as Pochi sat at the edge. Seishirou approached the closet and reach for the maple handle. Twisting the handles, he opened the right closet door. The closet was not used frequently and Seishirou mainly used it as a storage for clothes from his youthful days. He rustled through some of his old clothes, from time to time Seishirou would look over his shoulder examining the boy and the clothes he picked out. The boy was thin and slender, none of his clothes were of the right size.

After a few minutes, Seishirou eventually decided on a cream color turtleneck sweater and dark navy pants. The sweater was gift from a kind grandmother when he first arrived at the village. She used to be a fortune teller but after her granddaughter moved to the village, she opened up a tailor shop instead. Seishirou never wore the sweater, he just stayed in his cassock majority of the time.

Seishirou took the folded sweater and pants to the boy, "here, why do you change into these clothes, you have been wearing the same thing for a while now." Seishirou gave Pochi instructions in how to remove his pajama and how to put on the sweater. He also explained how hygiene work in their world.

"Thank you…" Pochi replied reaching out to accept the set of clothing, he almost sound disappointed. The pajama he wore were larger than his body but Pochi did not mind. just like Seishirou, the pajama felt warm and comforting, Pochi sometimes forgot the pajama were larger than him. The pajama also have a very pleasant smell similar to the priest.

"If you have any difficulty putting on the clothes just call me," Pochi nodded as he placed the set of clothes on his lap. "Then I will be waiting outside." Seishirou said before leaving the room giving the boy some privacy. The door closed with a click as Seishirou stood outside the room. The clothes he picked were simple so the boy shouldn't have too much difficulty putting it on. But even so there weren't much clothes in the church for the boy, perhaps it was time to do a little shopping.

Pochi felt conflicted. He did not want the priest to leave, however at the same time he cannot rely on the priest for everything. Seishirou have already done so much for him, pochi want to find some way to thank him back. Pochi have so much questions, about the priest, about the church, and about himself. He knew so little and there was still so much for him to learn.

Pochi rapidly shook his head, he was overthinking again. Focusing his attention back to the clothes on his lap, Pochi began to unbutton his buttons. Each button was cold and metallic. The design on the buttons were pretty, a blossom with five petals. Pochi held up the turtleneck sweater after buttoning the last button, the sweater was just around his size, a little larger perhaps. Pochi removed the pajama and put on the sweater. He did the same with the pants and folded the pajama as neatly as possible. It took him a while but once he figured out which arm goes in which sleeve, it was not too difficult to put on the sweater.

Pochi got up from the bed and head towards the door until something caught his attention. "Huh?" The closet door was still open and he saw a mirror. A small oval mirror with ivory frame hanging on the inner side of the closet. _'This must be a what Seishirou-san meant by a 'mirror','_ he thought to himself. He learned the names of the objects inside the church from Seishirou. Pochi did try using the window to catch a glimpse of his reflection before but he saw a blurry image instead, it was never this clear. Was this really how he looked like? It was the first time he saw his reflection. The face he saw was familiar and nostalgic. He cannot look away.

"…Ugh..!" Pochi's head throbs as white noise filled his empty mind.

His body moved on his own as he got closer to the closet, he saw an image looking back at him. Straight jet black raven hair that fell down to his ears, pale white skin, almost too pale to be human, and large emerald eyes. The pain increased with each step, Pochi touched his forehead trying to sustain the pain. Strangely, at the same time, the person in the mirror made the same movement as him. His reflection mimicked his actions without flaw.

The pain inside his head continued to increase, it was almost unbearable. White noise burst in his ears, his vision began to blur. Taking a step forward, he touched the mirror. The surface was glossy under his finger tip, something he never felt before. Taking another step, Pochi leaned his head against the mirror. Getting lost in his own reflection, he closed his eyes. The sharp pain continued to increase.

Collapsing onto his knee, Pochi was too distracted to notice anything. The mirror fell of the rusty nail and landed on the floor with a loud crash. His heart raced at an unmeasurable speed but he did not know why. Glass shards scattered around his legs, he was unaware he scraped his knee. The priest knocked on the door wondering what was the noise was but that too went under noticed. His head continued to ache, it felt similar to someone inserting a thousand needle into his brain. Pochi panted heavily trying to keep his conscious together. However, it was too much for him to handle and he blacked out.

* * *

March 5, 5:34 PM

The pain had sustained and faded away, the boy just felt cold like before. Was his eyes open? Or were they close? The boy was uncertain. Drifting in his sleep he saw only darkness. It was a dream, he was dreaming. He never had a dream like this before. Within the empty space of thoughts, there was nothing he could do. Pochi had no control over his body, he could only wait.

"…u…"

In the far distance, he heard a faint voice. A girl's voice. A voice so faint that anyone could of missed it if they did not pay attention. A voice filled with enthusiasm and confidence. A voice so familiar that eased his heart. It was calling out to him. Calling his name. His name. Something he'd been curious about ever since he woke up with amnesia.

"…a…ru…"

 _'_ _Who are you? Who am I? Do you know me?!'_ There are mountains of questions he wanted to ask that person. However, when he opened his mouth no voice came out. Centering all his focus on his ears, the boy listen for the voice. However, the voice disappeared before he got the chance, fading into the void. He couldn't hear her voice anymore, no mattered how much he concentrated… but something clicked inside him and everything became clear.

"Su…baru… my name is…Subaru…" That was his name. He remembered his name! A mixture of happiness and confusion slurred inside him. he was happy for remembering something and confused at everything else. Just like the priest said, memories return when the time is right. He only remembered his name, there are still so many things he want to know.

The dream ended with the boy remembering his name.

To be continued...

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This is the end, thank you for reading and have a good day or night where ever you are.


	3. Name

ShiroM: -checks calender-  
Last chapter was uploaded four months ago...  
ShiroM: I really have no excuse.

* * *

March 5th, 5:34 PM

"Su…baru… my name… is Subaru," the boy whispered as he woke from his dream. . His visions blurred but became clear the more he blinked. The boy realized he was back on his bed again, he was sleeping on his side facing away from the window. He recalled changing into a new set of clothes and blacking out, however, he could not recall the things happened in between. Why did he suddenly lose conscious? What caused it? who caused it? Subaru continued to be confused more than anything else. The harder he tried to remember, the more lost he became.

"Seishirou-san…" he whispered. His voice was faint, almost nonexistent. The priest was usually by his side when he awakes from his sleep. Much to his disappointment, Subaru was met with an wooden empty chair. Seishirou was not by his side this time, Subaru was alone in his room. He felt his chest tightened when he reminded himself that the priest had other business to take care of other than him.

Pushing himself on his back, his head felt light and woozy. His vision blurred once again and he waited until everything became stable again. Lowering his head, he noticed he wore the new clothes Seishirou gave him. Pushing aside the blankets, the boy tried to move his legs and immediately felt pain from his knees.

A wave of discomfort began piling up within him when he reached his pants. Rolling up his pants, he saw bandages wrapped around his knee. His heart suddenly stopped when he saw dark red spots on the bandages. The boy suddenly felt all his blood drained from his body when he saw those dark red spots.

Blood.

It was his blood.

A surge of hunger slammed against him from afar. He was hungry. Unbearably hungry. Looking to his side, he reached for the glass of water and gulped everything down to the very last drop. It helped a little but still not enough. His throat felt dry.

Ignoring the pain, Subaru got up on his feet and head towards the door. The black pants fell back down to its place, his knees ached every time he took a step but that did not bother him. The boy was more focus on finding something to fill his thirst. Seishirou mentioned there was a kitchen directly below his room, maybe he could get some water to drink.

The curtains covered the window, his room was darker than usual. The sun had already set but the boy had memorized the placement of the furniture in his room. He spent all his time in the room, finding his way to the door was not too difficult.

Subaru made his way to the door but stopped when his fingers touched the handle. Will Seishirou be angry at him for leaving his room? Seishirou never said anything about him not being able to leave the room but he still had his doubts. His thoughts quickly faded away with his hunger growing. He didn't have time to think, twisting the handle he opened the wooden door. His heart raced when he heard the small creak of the door opening.

The boy took a deep breathe before stepping out.

The hallway was the shape of a sideways letter "L", it was narrow but had enough room for two people to walk side by side. There were two doors to the right, one of which was the bathroom and the other was Seishirou's room. Subaru's room was located on the far-left side of the hallway. There were no windows and the only source of light were the flickering candles hanging on the wall. An old grandfather clock was located next to his door, the clock was old but free of dust, the pendulum continued to swing left and right making tick tock noises. Subaru observed the hallway, he found the stairs leading down to the first floor near the bathroom. There was also a stairway that lead to the attic on the opposite side. Using the wall as support he made his way to the stairs.

It was strange. A week ago, he could barely walk, now walking around became second nature to him. His body still felt foreign to him but he had gotten used to it. Subaru was hungry but he wanted to see the priest more than anything else, retreating his steps, he leaned against Seishirou's door.

"Seishirou-san," Subaru knocked.

Silence. There was no reply.

"Seishirou-san, may I come in?" Subaru knocked on the door again. Leaning against the door, the boy was met was silence once more. Subaru waited for a few more minutes before realizing the priest was not in his room. His stomach growled, the starving sensation was slowly killing him from the inside out. Subaru hesitated before listening to his hunger, the boy turned around and walked towards the stairs.

Tightening his grip on the rail, Subaru was startled when his body slumped on his first step down the stairs. He walked down the stairs one by one with cautious. The old wooden stairs creaked loudly with each step. He would not want to fall, that would be painful. Subaru sighed in relief when he reached the bottom of the staircase.

Looking around him, there were more candles lighting up the hallway. The church was not too big but there are many areas to explore. Subaru had never been on the first floor before, he was always curious about the first floor and the attic. Normally, he would love to take his time and explore the church, however, his mind was filled with a different priority at the moment. Something to eat or something to quench his thirst at least. His throat was dry, it felt like he was trapped in a desert for a week.

Observing his surrounding, Subaru made his way to the kitchen. Just like the priest said, the kitchen was directly below his room. Subaru spotted a kettle on top of the stove the second he stepped in, the kettle was halfway full of warm water. There were many clean plates and cups next to the stove. Subaru poured himself a cup and gulped it down with haste. He did not stop drinking even when water was dripping down his chin and down to his sweater. He was just that hungry, his throat felt it was set on fire. When he finished drinking, he poured himself another cup. And then another. Before he knew it, he had drunk all the water left in the kettle. It was not enough, he was still hungry. There must be something else for him to satisfied his hunger.

Glancing around the kitchen he found three odd bottles on the table. The bottles were dark green and made of glass. The substance inside was not water, it was a dark violet liquid. The top was sealed off with a cork but one of the wine bottles had a loose cork.

 _'_ _I shouldn't drink that, it belongs to Seishirou-san,'_ he told himself but his body moved on its own. Approaching the table, he noticed a small lavender note attached to the bottles. It reads _: "Thank you for your help the other day, please accept this as a token of my appreciation," from Kanoe._

 _'_ _I shouldn't drink this, I shouldn't drink this,'_ Subaru repeatedly told himself. It was a gift for the priest not for him. Slowly losing his sense of right and wrong, the boy picked hunger over reason. Subaru picked up the newly opened bottle with the loose cork and pulled of the cork. The wine bottle immediately gave of a sweet rich aroma, a combination of berries and grapes.

Bringing the bottle up to his lips, Subaru took a small sip. The flavor was strange and different, it was better than the solid food he ate. He took another sip; his hunger was beginning to subside. Subaru continued to drink until there was nothing left. Gaining back his senses, Subaru yelled at himself internally. The boy was not hungry anymore but he was disappointed with himself. Subaru pursed his lips, "I have to apologize."

But where was the priest?

Subaru didn't know where the priest was. Seishirou was not on the second floor, perhaps he was on the first floor. Placing the empty glass bottle back on the table, Subaru left the kitchen. Not a single voice could be heard, not the laughter of the children nor the footsteps of the taller man. The boy stepped into the hallway and began to venture into the unknown.

The lights were getting dim, it felt like he just stepped into a foreign world. His fingers felt numb, the first floor was colder than the second floor. Subaru never learn the layout of the first floor, the hallway was larger and there were less rooms. He felt relief when he saw a larger room at the end of the hallway, will he find Seishirou there?

Subaru had gotten used to the pain on his knees when he walked but he still had to use the wall for support. Unlike the second floor, the floor did not creak every time he took a step. It was quiet. Too quiet. He would not be too surprised if something jumped out from the shadow and scare him from behind.

Subaru eventually reached the larger room and the first thing he noticed were how the tables were lined up in a straight line against the walls. The table near the boy contains mountains of papers and books on different human illness. There were storage cabinets near the top left corner of the room and inside the cabinets were herbs and other medicine related items. The rectangular room had four windows on both side of the wall and a candle next to each window. A human size doll sat on the wooden bench facing away from the boy. Right beside the doll was a bookshelf with children books. On the opposite end of the room was an empty rack and a wide door leading to the outside world.

Seishirou was not in the church. Perhaps he went out for something. Being the priest of the village, Seishirou must have many tasks and errands to take care of. Subaru lowered his head before finally deciding to go back to his room and wait for the priest to return.

Thud.

Just when he was about to enter the hallway, he heard a small thud. The "doll" sitting on one of the bench fell over. Subaru approached the doll and attempted to put her back on the chair. However, before he could touch the doll, the doll twitched and moved on her own. Subaru was startled and his heart skipped several beats but soon realized the doll was not a doll. The doll was a little girl.

A girl half his size with short wavy blonde hair. Her hair reached down to her shoulder. She wore a white dress with many ribbons on the side and she wore white flats that matches her dress. Her hazy caramel eyes were covered by her messy hair. Excluding her face, the rest of her body was warped in white bandages. She was the ideal image of a discarded doll. Before Subaru could react, the girl got up on her feet. She noticed Subaru and she stared at Subaru with a blank expression.

"Oh, h-hello," Subaru said stammering on his words, it was the first time he spoke with someone that was not Seishirou. What should he say to her? Was she happy? Was she sad? Subaru could not tell. The girl continued to stare at him with a blank expression. Gathering his thoughts, Subaru decided to introduce himself. "Hello, my name is Po…no, my name is Subaru, what is yours?" he corrected as he bent down on his knees. He pushed aside the stings on his legs and tried to maintain a small smile.

"…" The girl tilted her head in question. She moved her lips but Subaru did not hear what she said.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you. Can you repeat it again?" The girl blinked and moved her lips.

"…" She tried to say something again but there was no voice.

Just then the entrance door opened with a loud cry, it spooked the boy. The door quickly closed preventing any snow and harsh wind from entering.

"I'm home!" Seishirou said in a cheerful tone shaking off any extra snowflakes on his hair and shoulder. The priest wore a black winter coat with white fur over his black cassock. He wore heavy black winter boots making his footsteps deeper than usual. In one hand was a basket filled with baguettes and French loafs and in the other hand were two brown paper bags filled with vegetables. Placing the bags on the nearest table, the priest brushed of the snow on his coat. He took of his jacket and placed it neatly on the rack. Seishirou was astonished to see the boy outside his room but he was also glad to see the boy up and awake.

"I'm back," Seishirou greeted the boy with his usual smile before turning towards the girl, "I see you two are getting along while I was away."

"W-welcome back, Seishirou-san," Subaru replied softly. His knees sting as he got up on his feet but it did not bother him too much, he was just overjoyed to see the priest.

"I'm glad you are awake, how are you feeling? You lost conscious yesterday and scrapped your knee. I bandaged your wounds to the best of my abilities but I do not recommend walking around too much." Seishirou was shocked when he discovered the boy unconscious on the floor surrounded by glass shards the day before. The mirror that broke belonged to the previous owners and unfortunately, Seishirou didn't know too much about them. He swept the floor and cleaned up the glass shards, he didn't know when the boy will awake again but he made sure the boy would not step on anything that would hurt him.

"Thank you for bandaging my legs, I'm sorry for worrying you. I felt better than yesterday, a lot better actually," Subaru answered in an apologetic tone. He looked up to meet those golden amber eyes, he felt so absorbed in Seishirou's gaze.

"I'm glad to hear." Closing the distance between them, Seishirou slowly ran one of his hand through the boy's hair, caressing it.

Feeling Seishirou's hand going through his hair was electrifying, every movement stirred his heartbeat faster than before. However, Subaru cannot let himself be swept away by his emotions, he need to apologize first.

"I'm sorry," Subaru said taking a step back breaking away from the contact.

"For what?"

"For leaving my room and I drank something that belongs to you." Subaru confessed lowering his head. Seishirou stared blankly at the boy before letting out a small chuckle. The boy was very kind and sincere.

"It is all right, I'm not angry or anything. I'm glad seeing you walking around, it shows that your health is improving. As for the drink, what did you drink?"

"I went to the kitchen and drank the water in the kettle and one of the glass bottles on the table," Subaru answered truthfully. Seishirou was surprised but he did not feel a single shred of anger.

"I am not angry, we can always boil more water and as for the other drink, I was planning on giving them away," Seishirou replied, he was more concern about the boy's health. Placing a hand on the boy's forehead, Seishirou examined his face. "Do you feel ill or nauseous?" What the boy drank was no ordinary beverage. It was red wine harvested from the finest grapes in the last decade. Seishirou received it as a gift from Kanoe after completing a task for her. He planned to save one and give the other two away, he always preferred sweet things over bitter ones after all.

Grapes were a common fruit in their world but alcoholic beverage were hard to come by and difficult to obtain. Only the higher class and royals gets the luxury of drinking wine every day. For the middle class and lower class, it was a once in a blue moon experience.

"No, I feel fine," Subaru said shaking his head, he still felt somewhat guilty. Seishirou lowered his head, leaning closer to Subaru. Their lips were inches apart. Seishirou paused, he gave the boy a sincere smile before pulling himself away. It took a moment for Subaru to register what happened. Subaru blinked before taking another tiny step backwards. Subaru didn't even realize he was holding his breathe. Seishirou examined the boy's face, there was nothing out of the ordinary. The boy's cheeks were pink but Seishirou doubt it was due to the alcohol.

Seishirou turned around to face the bandaged girl, he bent down and patted her on the head before rustling her hair. The girl's expression did not change, it was difficult to tell if she enjoyed it or not. The girl had little to no presence, Subaru almost forgot she was even there.

"Were you a good girl while I was away, Ritsu-chan?" Seishirou asked the girl. It took a few seconds but the girl nodded as a reply.

"Ritsu-chan...?" Subaru mumbled to himself. Was that the girl's name?

"Oh, let me introduce you," the black priest said facing the boy. The priest got up on his feet and placed a hand behind the girl's back. She wobbled when she took a step forward. "This is Ritsu, she is born without a vocal cord, so she cannot speak but she is a good girl. She is just shy around strangers," Seishirou explained.

Subaru nodded looking back at the girl. _'_ _So that's why she didn't answer my question, it's not because she didn't want to but because she can't…'_ he thought to himself. Subaru smile slowly faded away and was replaced with a frown.

Seishirou continued to speak, his voice became monotone. "Few years ago, there was a giant fire. Nobody knew what started the fire but the flames burnt away a third of the village. There were many casualties and some even lost their lives. Ritsu here survived but her family was a different story. Unfortunately, no one would look after her so I volunteered to be her guardian."

Subaru felt uneasy as he imagined what happened on that day. He bent down to her height and took her small cold hands in his palms.

"It is nice to meet you, Ritsu-chan. Let's get along, alright?" his voice was full of sorrow but his intensions were genuine. Ritsu stared at him for a minute before giving him a nod. He was too kind for his own good. They shook hands and a small smile appeared on Subaru's lips, he just made his first friend. Letting go of her hands, Subaru looked behind his shoulder at the priest. He got up and took a few steps towards the priest.

"…My name."

"hmm?"

"I remembered my name."

"Really? This is wonderful news," Seishirou chirped cheerfully, he was happy for the boy. "what is your name?"

"My name is Subaru." The boy felt strange saying his own name, perhaps he was not used to it yet.

"Is that your true name?"

"Huh?"

"No, just talking myself. It saddens me that I can't call you Pochi anymore but Subaru is a beautiful name."

"T-thank you." Subaru thanked the priest but stuttered at his words. Subaru could feel his cheeks heating up, he never thought his name was beautiful or anything. He did think it was a strange name, it sounded like a name that belong to a vehicle.

"Then, Subaru-kun, would you mind giving me a hand with these groceries? Carrying them through the snow was quite an adventure." Seishirou said jokingly on the latter part.

"yes, of course." Subaru answered back right away. Seishirou handed Subaru the lighter bag with vegetables. The younger raven took the bag without any problem, Seishirou picked up the basket and the other grocery bag before heading to the kitchen. Ritsu did not follow them. the girl sat back down on the chair she was on before.

Walking through the hallway felt like a completely different experience. It was not scary walking down the hallway with Seishirou by his side. There was no fear or discomfort, just a small warm fuzzy feeling. They walked slowly and Seishirou waited for Subaru when the boy lagged behind. When they reach the kitchen, Seishirou placed everything on the kitchen counter. Subaru followed his example and did the same.

"Is there anything you prefer for dinner?" Seishirou asked looking over his shoulder as he filled the kettle with water. Lighting the burner, Seishirou placed the kettle over the burner.

"No, I'll leave it up to you," Subaru answer shaking his head. He didn't have any preference since everything taste the same to him.

"Alright, how about beef stew? I found a wonderful deal today at the market and there are plenty of potato left from last week." Seishirou suggested with a bright smile. Subaru nodded at the suggestion, he did not dislike anything the priest made so far. He only wished he could taste the flavors in the dishes. The food looks great and he always felt guilty for lying and saying the food taste great. For a normal human, Seishirou's cook may have been above average but for Subaru, it was a different story.

Seishirou picked up the wine bottles on the table and stored it in one of the lower cabinet. Seishirou threw out the note while Subaru was busy taking out the vegetables in the bag, the priest will not be seeing Kanoe for a while.

"Subaru-kun, rather than apologizing all the time, I rather see you smile. Can you do that for me?" When he explained to Subaru what wines and alcoholic beverage were the boy apologized once again.

"Y-yes. I'm so- no mean thanks you." Subaru stuttered again while trying his best to form a smile on his lips. Seishirou chuckled silently to himself.

Seishirou began to make dinner and Subaru assisted him in any way possible, though most of the cooking and cutting was left up to the priest since the boy did not have any knowledge on culinary. They spent the next hour in the kitchen enjoying each other's company.

The boy felt at ease around the priest, he couldn't express it in words yet but whenever he's around Seishirou, all his anxieties worries fade away.

What was the emotion he felt? Perhaps he will know the name in the future.

* * *

ShiroM: R-Ritsu?! Why are you still alive?! I killed you last chapter!  
Ritsu: I came back from the dead.  
ShiroM: -sweats-  
Ritsu: Now I can lecture you all I want until the next chapter.  
ShiroM: Next chapter is on the way, I promise. So please spare me!


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